When it comes to understanding which vitamins are right for you, it can be tricky to know what your body needs. For some, a multivitamin can help fill in gaps in nutrition, for others, extra calcium and vitamin D are needed to help keep bones strong and healthy.

While most Americans will turn to their local pharmacist with questions concerning prescription medicines, few ask about which vitamins and supplements are right for them.

In fact, many Americans don’t realize they have unlimited free access to a health expert — their local pharmacist — who can provide detailed guidance on products sold at the pharmacy. This includes everything from over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medicines to vitamins and supplements.

A recent survey sponsored by Nature Made found that pharmacists estimate they answer questions regarding prescription medications for about half of their customers. By comparison, they estimate they answer questions about OTC products for just one in three customers (35 percent) — and when it comes to answering questions about vitamins and supplements, they estimate they do so for just one in five customers (23 percent).

Pharmacist Tips for Vitamin Supplements

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, more than half of all U.S. adults are now taking supplements, which makes understanding the difference between quality vitamins even more crucial. Approximately nine in 10 pharmacists (93 percent) agree taking vitamins and supplements is important for maintaining good overall health. When choosing between brands to recommend, pharmacists consider the following:

• Product quality. Nearly nine in 10 pharmacists (85 percent) say that product quality is a very important factor when deciding whether or not to recommend a specific brand of vitamin.
• Product purity. Many people may not be aware that it’s important to consider a vitamin’s purity. In fact, nearly four in five pharmacists (77 percent) say that product purity is very important in choosing whether or not to recommend a brand, and two in three (65 percent) say the same of product potency as well.

Top Pharmacist Recommendations

The survey also found that pharmacists were “very” and “somewhat” likely to recommend the following:

• In addition to recommending fish oil to support heart health, two in three pharmacists (63 percent) are also likely to suggest flaxseed oil and about half (47 percent) recommend garlic.
• Nine in 10 pharmacists recommend certain vitamins and supplements like Vitamin D to fill specific nutrition gaps.
• Only about two in five pharmacists (42 percent) recommend ginkgo biloba for mental alertness.
• For urinary and immune health, four in five (82 percent) recommend cranberry.
• To maintain normal energy levels, nine in 10 (91 percent) recommend a B vitamin complex, and about three in four (72 percent) recommend an iron supplement. In addition, pharmacists are two times more likely to recommend a protein-based product over a caffeine-based product for maintaining energy.